The Malik Report

There’s basically no way that the NHL would realistically move the Red Wings to the Eastern Conference given Columbus and Nashville’s statuses as ahead of the Wings in the pecking order and the Wings’ status as the Western Conference’s “anchor tenant,” but the Sporting News’s Craig Custance reports that the Wings would still like to move East if the Thrashers re-locate at some point in the future:

According to Jimmy Devellano, Detroit’s senior vice president, a move won’t be happening next season for the Red Wings. “We’re going to be right where we are next year,” he said on Saturday. “Beyond that, I can’t comment. Next year we’re right where we are.”

Moving East would mean money and time saved on travel for the organization, not to mention reasonable start times for fans in Detroit when the Red Wings are on the road. That’s why Devellano is holding out hope that it could still happen as soon as the 2012-13 season. “Fingers crossed, toes crossed, saying prayers,” he joked.

Comments

I dont get why Columbus or Nashville would get to move before Detroit. I’m pretty sure the Preds are in Central time anyway. Detroit would be great for NBC/Versus east coast love fest. They could rekindle the rivalries between Toronto and Montreal as well as keep the Pittsburgh one going. Plus there would also be the opportunity for a Wings/Hawks final

The biggest problem is there is no division to put them in. Who do you move to the Southeast if the Thrashers relocate? Do you move Philly, NJ, NYI, Pittsburgh? I don’t think any of those teams would be willing to move. I think that’s their biggest hurdle to moving east is there’s really no place to put them in either of the two appropriate divisions. If Atlanta moves, it’s a natural to shift the Preds (think SEC rivalries)to the Southeast and Minnesota to the Central (hello Norris/Big 10) and the Thrashers go to the Northwest (note, I’d do this even if they moved to KC).

I agree, why would Nashville go to the East, when they would become the ONLY non-Eastern time zone team in the East?

Probably won’t happen, but would be awesome if it did. The Wings would make the ECF pretty much every year with a trip to the SCF a pretty regular occurrence coming out of the East.

Posted by
John W.
from a bubble wrap cocoon on 05/14/11 at 05:18 PM ET

I agree, why would Nashville go to the East, when they would become the ONLY non-Eastern time zone team in the East?

That’s an easy fix. The NHL will just have the city of Nashville’s time zone changed from the Central to the East. Bingo ... done.

Wings stay in the West.

Posted by
utahgentile
from the land of white and delightsome people on 05/14/11 at 08:21 PM ET

Yes please.
As Mick says… “where we belong”.

Posted by
MOWingsfan19
from I really like our team on 05/14/11 at 10:26 PM ET

This could be solved by moving the Thrashers to Winnipeg and the Panthers to Seattle (what the *#$%@& are you babbling about., you may ask. Nobody is talking about putting an NHL team in Seatlle, you might say. Time to start.)

Posted by
monkey
from Praha, Česká republika on 05/15/11 at 01:24 PM ET

First I would like to say that the guy in Columbus that has a serious issue with the Jackets being the team that should “TRUMP” the Wings move to the east, needs to pop a few chill pills and understand that the Detroit Red Wings, Like it or Not, are the winningest team in the League. They are an Original 6 team and that combined with the 6 Cup appearances, 4 Titles in the past15 seasons put them as the Elite team in the NHL, so they should get the first chance to bug out of the west. Columbus should check their Trophy case, and look around for their Hall of Fame members, then they need to worry about making the playoffs 20 straight years before they can really say they are a Hockey Team with clout. Detroit makes the NHL serious Cash, and they deserve to belong in the East, Where the time zone matches the one they live in!!!! The West would be thrilled to get them out anyway, aside from the few teams like Vancouver who get lucky every once in a while, Detroit is the KING, and everyone knows it. San Jose “little Detroit” will love it too, since they can’t keep up the luck that they have been having over the past two years against them. When logic fills your brain, it becomes a no brainer… Detroit is and always has been the Big Dog from the East, playing in the West… The Western conference just sucks… Travel, 10 pm starts… never see Toronto, Montreal, Boston or the Rangers???? Who came up with this Detroit in the West to begin with… what did they need to hold Chicagos’ hand because they were scared to be the only Original 6 team in the West??? Get over it, your in the Central Time Zone… deal with it.

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The Malik Report is a destination for all things Red Wings-related. I offer biased, perhaps unprofessional-at-times and verbose coverage of my favorite team, their prospects and developmental affiliates. I've joined the Kukla's Korner family with five years of blogging under my belt, and I hope you'll find almost everything you need to follow your Red Wings at a place where all opinions are created equal and we're all friends, talking about hockey and the team we love to follow.